India has inaugurated its first SkyCast aviation weather monitoring system at Indira Gandhi International Airport, marking a major step toward “fog-free, weather-smart aviation.” With this deployment, India becomes the 19th country globally to implement such an integrated aviation weather intelligence system. The next SkyCast facility is planned at Jewar Airport (Uttar Pradesh), with further expansion across airports nationwide.
The system is part of the government’s broader push under Mission Mausam to enhance forecasting capabilities and disaster preparedness through advanced observational technologies like Doppler Weather Radars.
What is SkyCast?
SkyCast is an advanced integrated atmospheric monitoring system developed under the Mission Mausam initiative, designed to provide real-time weather intelligence to: Pilots, Airport operators, Airlines.
Objective: To reduce delays, diversions, and cancellations caused by fog, turbulence, and poor visibility.
Key Features of SkyCast
- Integrated Weather Platform: Combines fog monitoring, turbulence detection, and high-impact weather forecasting into a single system
- Real-Time Decision Support: Helps pilots and airlines take informed decisions during adverse weather
- Improved Passenger Experience: Expected to reduce weather-related disruptions
- High-Quality Data Generation: Provides atmospheric data on wind, humidity, temperature profiles
- AI-Enabled Forecasting Support: Enhances artificial intelligence-based weather prediction models
- Multi-Sector Utility: Supports: Urban weather prediction,Transport advisories, Pollution management, Disaster response planning
- Nowcasting Capability: Enables early warning and real-time forecasting for aviation operations
Scientific Background
- Based on the Winter Fog Experiment (WiFEX) launched in 2015
- Joint initiative by: Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) and India Meteorological Department (IMD)
- Focus areas: Fog formation, Aerosol-cloud interactions, Visibility reduction in urban conditions
Key Technologies in SkyCast
SkyCast integrates multiple advanced instruments to monitor atmospheric conditions up to ~3 km above the airport:
- Radar Wind Profiler (Core Component): Measures wind speed, direction, turbulence, vertical velocity, and boundary-layer dynamics
- SODAR (Sound Detection and Ranging): Monitors lower atmospheric turbulence
- Microwave Radiometer: Measures temperature and moisture profiles
- Ground-based Fog Aerosol Spectrometer (GFAS): Tracks fog droplets and aerosol interactions (critical in polluted regions like Delhi)
- CL61 Lidar-based Ceilometer: Monitors vertical structure of fog and visibility in real time
Mission Mausam
Mission Mausam is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Earth Sciences aimed at making India “weather-ready” and “climate-conscious.”
Objectives
- Improve weather forecasting, modelling, and warning systems
- Strengthen sectors like: Disaster management, Agriculture, Defence and civil security
- Provide early warnings up to Panchayat level by 2030
Budget & Timeline
- Allocation: ₹2,000 crore (initial 2 years)
Implementing Agencies
- India Meteorological Department (IMD), New Delhi
- Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune
- National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), Noida
Key Technological Features
- Use of AI, ML, and supercomputing
- Deployment of next-generation radars and satellite systems
- GIS-based real-time decision support systems